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Men’s Mental Health Month: Perspective
June is Men’s Mental Health month, although it tends to get eclipsed by other things. If you’re reading this, thanks for taking the time.
I’m not a big fan of being told what to focus on in any particular month, but as a man who has survived my share of mental health struggles, I think my perspective might be beneficial to others.
These days many people think about mental health treatment as a calculation of pharmaceuticals and therapy. While I highly recommend both of those as directed by your doctor, they are only two components of a much bigger equation.
Although many doctors won’t mention them, holistic approaches to positive mental health are proven to work as well as medication and therapy.
For example, in every study I’ve ever seen that compares antidepressants to physical exercise, exercise is always at least as effective as medication at treating depression.
Other practices like gratitude, mindfulness, social connections, and healthy lifestyles can also have a massive impact.
Most of those things are personal practices that each individual must choose to embrace. But social connections are something we can all help each other with.
If you know someone you care about is struggling, please let them know they’re not…
